Most of us have heard of the big social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook, but until yesturday I had never heard of "exclusive" social networking.
The idea is to give different(usually affluent) social groups a place where they can meet other people in the same social group, and not have to come into contact with people from different social levels.
There are more than a few different sites, many of them have a monthly subscription fee and some even need proof of net worth in order to join.
It is an interesting view of how even on the internet people actively seek division from people who do not fit into their own peer groups.
The design of dissent
This is a book and an exhibition based around it. The book is called "The design of dissent: socially and politically driven Graphics." and the exhibit is by one of the co-authors and a graphic designer Mirko Ilic. The exhibit includes many images talking about the current war in Iraq and several images of George Bush with dark undertones.
The Kingdom
This is a film that is designed to highlight some of the realities of the oil industry particularly in Suadi Arabia. It begins by showing statistics of the worlds oil production and consumption and shows just what an alarming amount the United states uses in comparison to the rest of the world thus setting the political background to the film. It then cuts to a baseball game being played in one of the oil company controlled westernised areas of Saudi Arabia where oil workers from America live under American law and don't have to conform to the general islamic based laws. You don't learn much else about the worlds oil industry but these few pieces do help you to understand some of the American senators decision.
From this point onwards things go downhill. There is a terrorist attack on one of the compounds in which many Americans are killed. There is then a secondary attack on the rescue workers in which an FBI agent is killed. This sparks the FBI into action and they are itching to get to Saudi Arabia in order to carry out an investigation and bring the perpetrator to justice.
This film is not as bad as I expected it to be, but I have to say it is not one of the greatest ever made. Its a good watch if all you looking for is a bit of violence and some political tension but it never gets any deeper than that it doesn't really deal with any of the statistic shown at the beginning of the film and is basically an excuse for some violence. I suggest watching it is your bored and have nothing better to do otherwise don't waste your time.
From this point onwards things go downhill. There is a terrorist attack on one of the compounds in which many Americans are killed. There is then a secondary attack on the rescue workers in which an FBI agent is killed. This sparks the FBI into action and they are itching to get to Saudi Arabia in order to carry out an investigation and bring the perpetrator to justice.
This film is not as bad as I expected it to be, but I have to say it is not one of the greatest ever made. Its a good watch if all you looking for is a bit of violence and some political tension but it never gets any deeper than that it doesn't really deal with any of the statistic shown at the beginning of the film and is basically an excuse for some violence. I suggest watching it is your bored and have nothing better to do otherwise don't waste your time.
Falling Water
Falling Water is a house built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935. It is incredibly ahead of its time and is built over a water fall hence the name. The strong lines and jutting concrete produce a powerful image in contrast to the water below and the surrounding forest. There cannot be any other building like this, so perfectly placed and aligned as to blend in with nature whilst being so strong and brutally designed.
The Hitchhikers Guide Quadrilogy
The Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy is an amazingly well written well thought out story comprising of four books in total. I have read all the books and they are some of my favorites. It is for this reason I was terribly excited when I heard that they were making a film. I had hoped that it would be as good as the film transfer from of the Lord of the Rings books but I was sadly mistaken.
The film left me feeling empty and betrayed by a film industry that is obsessed with making money of their loyal fans. What they had done was try to compress the books into one film, where they should have made four separate films. a lot of the story was wrong and cut up and even the well descibed space ship was turned into a ball (in the book it was described as looking like a sleek trainer). It is for this reason that I am now wary of seeing films adapted from books as they tend to damage the memories of what you have read.
If you have seen the film I urge you to read the books as you will see what you missed out on in the cinema, and possibly feel how I feel.
The film left me feeling empty and betrayed by a film industry that is obsessed with making money of their loyal fans. What they had done was try to compress the books into one film, where they should have made four separate films. a lot of the story was wrong and cut up and even the well descibed space ship was turned into a ball (in the book it was described as looking like a sleek trainer). It is for this reason that I am now wary of seeing films adapted from books as they tend to damage the memories of what you have read.
If you have seen the film I urge you to read the books as you will see what you missed out on in the cinema, and possibly feel how I feel.
Blade Runner
Blade runner is a film directed by Ridley Scott and staring Harrison Ford. I have many problems with this film and to this day have never got to the end, dispite having tried on a number of occasions. The Screenplay is very slow and sedate nothing like what the title makes you envisage, and this is probably the reason I get bored with it, even though the story is about artificial superhumans it just doesnt do anything for me.
It was released in 1982 and has been heralded as an all time great movie. Unfortuanetly I disagree but perhaps I will eventually get round to watching the end of the film.
Athough I don't like the film much for its storytelling it is remarkably ahead of its time in terms of vision and special effects. It manages to dipict a vast city stretching on into the distance and I can only assume around the world, and high into the atmosphere. The city is made mainly of large glass buildings with add billboards dipicting some familiar names and even the garbage vehicles are extremely futuristic and well thought out.
I guess I cannot say all bad things about this film afterall. I do like this films version of the future but I just don't like the part it is telling me.
The Gun Seller
The Gun seller is a book That I read whilst on holiday when I was about 12 Years old. Back then I did not notice who it was written by and it is only recently that I discovered that it was Hugh Laurie.
The book is about Thomas Lang an ex-army mercinary living in London. After being approached with a job offer in which he must assassinate a business man Thomas tries to warn the target and ends up getting involved with an arms dealer. The arms dealer needs lang to help with some advertising that invloves a terrirst attack but Lang doesnt go along with the plan and tries to stop it.
I really enjoyed this book and have read it several times, its fairly fast pace and well written. Its a real boys book because of the subject though, so if you dont like guns and helicopters dont bother reading it.
The book is about Thomas Lang an ex-army mercinary living in London. After being approached with a job offer in which he must assassinate a business man Thomas tries to warn the target and ends up getting involved with an arms dealer. The arms dealer needs lang to help with some advertising that invloves a terrirst attack but Lang doesnt go along with the plan and tries to stop it.
I really enjoyed this book and have read it several times, its fairly fast pace and well written. Its a real boys book because of the subject though, so if you dont like guns and helicopters dont bother reading it.
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